Suspended module buildings



July 18, 1967 c. FREY 3,331,168

SUSPENDED MODULE BUILD INGS Original Filed Oct. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR.

CHRIST/AN FREY BY ATTORNE Y5 FIE--1 July 18, 1967 c. FREY 3,331,168

SUSPENDED MODULE BUILDINGS Original Filed Oct. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2FIE-Er- 3..

INVENTOR. \W CHRIST/AN FREY BYWI'LhZ A TTORN E Y5 United States Patent3,331,168 SUSPENDED MODULE BUILDINGS Christian Frey, San Francisco,Calif., assignor to Suspended Structures Incorporated, San Francisco,Calif., a corporation of California Original application Oct. 9, '1962,Ser. No. 229,421, now Patent No. 3,226,727, dated Dec. 28, 1965. Dividedand this application Sept. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 523,234

2 Claims. (Cl. 5273) This application is a division of my parentapplication Ser. No. 229,421, filed Oct. 9, 1962 for Suspended ModuleBuildings, now US. Patent No. 3,226,727.

This invention relates to architectural structures and more particularlyto multiple unit buildings formed of a plurality of suspended modulesand to a method of constructing the same.

In accordance with this invention, multiple unit buildings such asapartment houses, motels and the like are constructed by suspending aplurality of prefabricated or substantially prefabricated modules from aservice tower. Each module forms a separate business or dwelling unit ora component of such a unit which is joined to other suspended componentson the tower. Preferably each module is independent of the other modulesand is suspended from the tower independently of the other modules withthe modules distributed circumferentially around the tower andsuperposed one above another along the height of the tower.

The tower and modules are constructed independently with the towerdesign influencing module design only to the extent that it dictates apattern of suspension cables or rods which the module must receive; inthis way, the module manufacturer has substantially complete freedom indesigning modules for the building, and the potential building tenanthas very wide freedom in selecting the housing or business unit which hewill install in the volume of space he might lease along the height ofthe tower.

A number of very substantial advantages are obtained by constructingbuildings in this manner. Each of the separate modules which is to besuspended in the building may be constructed under ideal conditions in afactory where all required tools and power machinery are readilyaccessible and where plumbing and electrical wiring supplies and thelike may be available in abundance. The modules may be completelyprefabricated and furnished at the factory before they are shipped totheir ultimate site and raised into position. When the modules aresubstantially completed in a factory in this manner, the buildingconstruction can progress uniformly throughout the year regardless ofweather conditions, leaving only the service tower for constructionduring the normal construction season. In this regard, the modules whencomplete with roof and exterior walls may be delivered and raised intoplace at any time regardless of weather conditions.

In some situations,.as where shipping of the module to the site maypresent problems, the module may be prefabricated in small sections atthe factory and assembled at the site before it is raised into place orwhile it is being raised into place. Additionally, some advantages maybe obtained under certain circumstances by raising the module into placein the form of a space frame and finishing and furnishing the moduleafter it is in place.

The provision of suspended module buildings of this type permits the useof a wide variety of structural designs for the individual modules. Forinstance, each module may be constructed from conventional structuralmembers loaded in compression with the entire module suspended on rodsor cables which are attached to the module at its floor level. On theother hand, the structural strength of the module may be provided by astressed skin with each module suspended on cables or the like attachedto its roof. The use of light weight building construction expedients isthus not only possible but desirable, and the use of such techniquesafford substantial savings in materials. Additionally, the material usedin the cables or rods which support the modules is used most eflicientlysince the weight of the modules is thereby carried by tension instead ofcompression.

The cables or rods employed can be designed efliciently to carry theweight distribution of the module while employing a minimum quantity ofmaterials in each cable or rod, and these advantages can be obtained bysupporting the entire module on a single cable or rod while usinglateral bracing connecting the module to the tower or other modules ifdesired. Where it is desirable to minimize the quantity of material inthe cables and the like, the plural modules on a single tower may besupported from a plurality of cantilever support portions which areattached to the tower at different elevations.

The construction of suspended module buildings in accordance with thisinvention offers new opportunities for all those associated with thebuildings and to many concerns which have been unable to compete in thebuilding construction industry heretofore. Thus, suspended modulebuildings may introduce a sufiiciently different concept in homearchitecture that homeowners may accept homes made completely frommaterials such as aluminum and synthetic resins, which the ordinaryhomeowner has heretofore rejected as being to unconventional; this mayopen vast new markets for suppliers and fabricators of these heretoforeunconventional materials. The opportunity for the architect and builderto use radically new three dimensional shapes for homes may also givethem complete freedom of choice to use new materials in the new shapes.The provision of service towers which will accept modules for suspensionmay permit old established concerns such as automobile, trailer and airframe manufacture-rs to diversify their operations and thereby even outtheir cyclic economic problems. Since the service tower itself imposesvery few restrictions on the designs for the module it supports, themodule owner who leases space on the tower has very wide freedom ofchoice in selecting the interior and exterior design for his module;additionally, the module owner may be free to trade in and replace hismodule, since the suspended module may be removed from its tower withoutcausing any damage to itself or to the tower.

The service tower forming the core of the building of this invention maybe constructed very efficiently with known concrete slip-formtechniques. The tower is provided with a cantilever portion at aposition substantially above the ground, and the material hoist assemblynormally used on the slip-form equipment may be used to lift thecantilever portions into place. The modular building units may be liftedinto place on the service tower and permanently suspended from thecantilever portion by rods or cables with the slip-form hoist or apermanent hoist installation in the tower being used to lift themodules. Each module is preferably prefabricated as a completed selfsustaining unit with its own service elements such as plumbing,electrical wiring, heating, and the like which may be connected toservice facilities in the service tower; this connection may be made byflexible means which may accommodate the structure to thermal expansionand contraction of the cables which suspend the modules. Additionally,the connection may be made by a standardized multiple conduit fittingwhich is detachably connected to the service tower thereby facilitatingremoval and replacement of any given module.

Where earthquake and wind conditions, for instance, may subject thebuildings to large lateral forces, the bending movements of the towermay be modified by the installation of resilient bumpers between themodules and the tower.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description of one embodiment of the invention, referencebeing had to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation partially in section of a suspendedmodule building constructed in accordance with the principles of thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, somewhat schematic, taken alongthe plane indicated at 2--2 in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view in side elevation illustrating typicalsuspension components in the building of FIG. 1.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the building illustratedtherein includes a double walled service column having inner and outerwalls and 12 respectively with a plurality of floor elements 14 mountedtherebetween at various levels in the tower. An elevator shaft 16 (FIG.2) is provided within the wall 10 and has access doors 18 at the levelsof the various floor elements 14. A stair well 20 is also provided inthe service tower inside the wall 10 as is a vertical chute 22 in whichservice facilities (not shown) are mounted for providing water,electricity, gas, and sewage outlets at each fioor level of the tower.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the outer wall 12 of the service tower ishexagonal and provided with an exterior opening 24 in each of its sixfaces at the level of each floor element 14. A plurality of housingunits 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 are susepnded adjacent to the service towerand provided with doorways communicating with the access openings 24 inthe outer wall 12 of the service tower. In the embodiment of theinvention illustrated, each of the modular housing unit is suspendedindependently by cables 32 which are attached to the floor 34 (FIG. 3)of each module except module 29 which is suspended solely by a singlecentral cable 32 attached to the roof of the module by conventionalcable anchors as shown in FIG. 3, the cables extending upwardly throughpassages in the modules thereabove and hence over sheaves 36 on acantilever support portion 38 on top of the service tower. The ends ofthe cables 32 are connected to power hoists 40 in the top of the servicetower, the hoists being used to lift the various modules into placeadjacent to the service tower with the cables being detached from thehoist and permanently secured to the tower after the modules are inplace. The cantilever support portion 38 and sheaves 36 may be coveredby a roofing hood 39. As indicated in FIG. 2, the majority of thehousing units 2630 are supported with four cables 32 suspending eachmodule, but the modules in one vertical stack of modules (containing thehousing units 28 and 29) carry five cables 32. Bumpers and/ or supportcables 41 may be provided between the modules, the cables 41 serving asthe sole support for the module 27 in FIG. 2.

As indicated above, tubular means are provided extending through themodules 26-30 permitting passage from the cantilever support portion 38of the cables 32 which suspend lower modules on the building. Asindicated in FIG. 2, these tubular passages may be provided in dividingwalls 42 in each module or in other housings such as in the core of thecircular staircase in module 28. Additionally, where it may be desirableto facilitate lateral removal of a module from the building, the cablesmay be provided in slots in the module where the slot extendscontinuously from the cable through the wall of the module which isclosest to the service tower.

As indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a wide variety of designs may be employedin the design of individual modules of the building, the modules 26being formed as hexagonal 4 units each having a balcony 44 on its outeredge and having a plurality of rooms separated by the walls 42 with eachof the modules comprising a complete living unit with living room,dining room, kitchen, bedrooms and bath as indicated by the letters onone of the units 26 in FIG. 2. Each of the units 26 is raised into placeadjacent to the service tower after it has been completely prefabricatedand moved to a position on the ground adjacent to the tower. On theother hand, the housing module 30 is made from a floor slab 46 andinflatable canopy 48 whereby the module 30 may be lifted into placeprior to inflation of the canopy; where it is desirable, the canopy maybe supported as by a geodesic dome or expandable space frame. Asindicated in FIG. 1, the module 29 is built from a geodesic octagonalspace frame in which the surface of the frame and the frames structuralstrength are provided by a lattice of interlocking braces. This moduleis suspended by a single cable attached to its roof and is provided withauxiliary lateral stability by bracing members connecting the module tothe tower at two floor levels.

The service tower is adapted to support a wide variety of shapes andsizes of modular units depending upon the desires of the individualoccupants of the modules. As indicated in the drawings, one or more ofthe modular units on the tower may be omitted for the sake of privacy ofa particular occupant, and multiple story modules such as the module 28may be provided where an individual occupant desires to lease a volumeof space adjacent to the tower which is adjacent to more than one floorlevel 14 of the tower or more than one of the hexagonal faces of thetower. The module 28 is provided with two floor levels 48 and 50, anattic 52 and basement 54. Some idea of the versatility of designpermitted by the suspended module arrangement is indicated in thehousing unit 28 where the lower level 48 is bounded by a downwardlyfacing window 56 in one of the octagonal walls of the building, and thesecond story 50 is provided with an upwardly facing window 58.

While certain general principles of the suspended module buildings ofthis invention and one specific embodiment thereof have been illustratedand described above, it will be obvious that many modifications thereofmay be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the structureand method of the invention.

I claim:

1. A suspended module building comprising a generally vertical servicecolumn mounted on the ground and having service facilities therein, acantilever support portion mounted on said column substantially abovethe ground, a plurality of independent enclosed housing units adjacentto said column and underneath said cantilever support portion with eachof said housing units having first and second substantially horizontalframe portions forming a floor and a ceiling respectively of saidhousing units and a plurality of substantially vertical walls on saidframe portions for laterally enclosing an occupiable volume of saidunit, and tension members connected to said cantilever support portionand to sa1d housing units for suspending said housing units from saidsupport portion with each of said housing units vertically spaced apartfrom other housing units above and below it with a substantial volume ofempty space between the first and second frame portions of each of saidhousing units and the second and first frame portions respectively ofthe closest housing unit with said tension members including a firsttension member connected to said cantilever support portion and a firstone of said housing units and at least a second tension member connectedto said cantilever support portion and a second one of said housingunits with said second tension member free of connection to said firsthousing unit, and service facilities in each of said housing unitsconnected to service facilities in said column.

2. A suspended module building comprising a generally vertical servicecolumn mounted on the ground and having service facilities therein, acantilever support portion mounted on said column substantially abovethe ground, a first plurality of independent enclosed housing unitsarranged in superposed position adjacent to said column underneath saidcantilever support portion, a second plurality of independent enclosedhousing units arranged in superposed relation adjacent to said columnunderneath said cantilever support portion with said second plurality ofhousing units laterally spaced from said first plurality, a continuousvertical open space in said building between said first and secondpluralities of housing units with said housing units bounding said openspace, tension members connected to said cantilever support portion andto said housing units for suspending said housing units from saidsupport portion with said tension members including a first tensionmember connected to said cantilever support portion and a first one ofsaid housing units and at least a second tension member connected tosaid cantilever support portion and a second one of said housing unitswith said second tension member free of connection to said first housingunit, each of said housing units in each of said pluralities having asubstantially horizontal frame portion connected to said tension membersand a plurality of substantially vertical walls on said frame portionfor laterally enclosing an occupiable volume of said unit with saidframe and walls having sufiicient strength to support themselves andeach other but insuificient strength to support the remaining housinguni-ts in that plurality, and service facilities in each of said housingunits connected to said service facilities in said column.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,988,075 1/1935 Fiorini 52732,499,498 3/ 1950 Hammond 52236 X 2,914,074 11/1959 Fuller 52-81 X2,934,075 4/1960 Richardson et al. 52-81 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,163,7744/1958 France.

74,311 11/ 1960 France.

937,372 9/ 1963 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES German printed application 1,119,499, December 1961.

JOHN MURTAGH, Primary Examiner. M. O. WARNECKE, Assistant Examiner.

1. A SUSPENDED MODULE BUILDING COMPRISING A GENERALLY VERTICAL SERVICECOLUMN MOUNTED ON THE GROUND AND HAVING SERVICE FACILITIES THEREIN, ACANTILEVER SUPPORT PORTION MOUNTED ON SAID COLUMN SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVETHE GROUND, A PLURALITY OF INDEPENDENT ENCLOSED HOUSING UNITS ADJACENTTO SAID COLUMN AND UNDERNEATH SAID CANTILEVER SUPPORT PORTION WITH EACHOF SAID HOUSING UNITS HAVING FIRST AND SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTALFRAME PORTIONS FORMING A FLOOR AND A CEILING RESPECTIVELY OF SAIDHOUSING UNITS AND A PLURALITY OF SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL WALLS ON SAIDFRAME PORTIONS FOR LATERALLY ENCLOSING AN OCCUPIABLE VOLUME OF SAIDUNIT, AND TENSION MEMBERS CONNECTED TO SAID CANTILEVER SUPPORT PORTONAND TO SAID HOUSING UNITS FOR SUSPENDING SAID HOUSING UNITS FROM SAIDSUPPORT PORTION WITH EACH OF SAID HOUSING UNITS VERTICALLY SPACED APARTFROM OTHER HOUSING UNITS ABOVE AND BELOW IT WITH A SUBSTANTIAL VOLUME OFEMPTY SPACE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND FRAME PORTIONS OF EACH OF SAIDHOUSING UNITS AND THE SECOND AND FIRST FRAME PORTIONS RESPECTIVELY OFTHE CLOSEST HOUSING UNIT WITH SAID TENSION MEMBERS INCLUDING A FIRSTTENSION MEMBER CONNECTED TO SAID CANTILEVER SUPPORT PORTION AND A FIRSTONE OF SAID HOUSING UNITS AND AT LEAST A SECOND TENSION MEMBER CONNECTEDTO SAID CANTILEVER SUPPORT PORTION AND A SECOND ONE OF SAID HOUSINGUNITS WITH SAID SECOND TENSION MEMBER FREE OF CONNECTION TO SAID FIRSTHOUSING UNIT, AND SERVICE FACILITIES IN EACH OF SAID HOUSING UNITSCONNECTED TO SERVICE FACILITIES IN SAID COLUMN.